... been swimming across the lakes just to find this perfect place

I have always known that I'm different. Sometimes I feel like I'm a walking anomaly. Whatever is normal for everyone else, is opposite for me. I am usually on a different schedule. When everyone is hungry and wants to eat, I'm not. By the time I am hungry, everyone's already full.

This theme transition my next thought: Unlike a large majority of my female peers, I can't remember spending time as a child day dreaming over cake designs and floral arrangements, or selecting the perfect color scheme for my "big day". (Please do not misread that as an uppity comment. I am not opposed to those that do or have done. I recognize that I was never able (or willing) to devote the needed attention for such detail oriented fixation).

In my mind I already knew that the "big day" I would dream up at age 7, or 12, or 19, or ... whenever, would be different than how I would want said day to really play out.

So while I watched friends collect pictures, mental or tangible, to add to their "big day" binder (I even helped tear out magazine pages as suggestions), I found that I was more intriuged by pictures like these:

http://www.sixsenses.com/hideaway-zighybay/index

Momentary hesitation to ponder that one day this could be my backyard. I prefered entertaining very small moments of long term planning and thoughts that some day I might get to live in a house that was designed for me (or by me); a house where I want to spend all my time b/c it reflects things that I like, and a place that others will want to spend their time b/c they feel at home.

(If I was feeling like an overachiever right now, I'd upload the song Treehouse, by I'm from Barcelona. It compliments this post nicely).

I will always need to live by water, in some shape or form, albeit lake, river, ocean, pool. I seem to have managed to get that box checked thus far so ... fingers crossed!

Right now, I am mentally counting down the few remaining days until I am in Puerto Rico; first stop before an entire week on a boat. Sigh. I sleep so well on water; it should be a restful week!

Covered in freckles ...

In my fresh-off-the-new-year resolve to better learn ... errr experience southern California, I embarked on the first of many 2008 jaunts to LA for dinner and a show. My Thanksgiving in Guatemala travel mates (Lisa, Andy and Peter) - should I talk about the serendipitous fortune of the excellent travel crew now? Nah, I'll save that part for the post that I never wrote about said trip, but still have every intention of writing!)... anyway, my FRIEND Katie and I met them for dinner at The Nook (great recommendation Andy and Lisa) for dinner before we headed off to the Troubador to see Kate Nash. This was Kate Nash's first time in LA, a sold out show, a fantastic show, and on stage she looks like Kim (Hickman). Even if you don't like her music, you'd still like the show; it's like a Garth Brooks country concert, always entertaining. (Side note: I did learn from Trivia Pursuit at Beckie's this weekend that country music is considered three chords and a truth).

Summary: lovely dinner + lovely show = GRAND time.

One interesting observation from last night is that if you are in a place, like the Troubador, it's extremely difficult to play the "to the best of my knowledge" game (you know where you see a "celebrity" look a like and point them out by saying to the person you are with, "to the best of my knowledge, Jack Black is standing/sitting/chatting over ..."). I guess you actually can play it, but it's not as fun b/c there is a GOOD possibility that the person IS exactly who you think they look like. The best part is that the majority of the people could care less about who is around them - it's terrific!

I've never been one to analyze or dwell much on lyrics, but I'm thinking that this could be my super hero song for 2008.

Kate Nash - Mouthwash

Lyrics

This is my face, covered in freckles with an occasional spot and some veins.
This is my body, covered in skin, and not all of it you can see
And, this, is my mind, it goes over and over the same old lines
And, this, is my brain, it's torturous analytical thoughts make me go insane

And I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I've got a family
And I drink cups of tea

I've got nostalgic pavements
I've got familiar faces
I've got mixed-up memories
And I've got favourite places

And I'm singing uh oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be
alright

This is my face, I've got a thousand opinions and not the time to explain
And this is my body, and no matter how you try and disable it, yeah, I'll still be
here
And, this, is my mind, and although you try to infringe you cannot confine
And, this, is my brain, and even if you try and hold me back there's nothing
that you can gain

Because I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I've got a family
And I drink cups of tea

I've got nostalgic pavements
I've got familiar faces
I've got mixed-up memories
And I've got favourite places

And I'm singing uh oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be
alright
And I'm singing uh oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be
alright

My glass slipper

In high school (go cougars!) I had a teacher that was famous for his "new shoes dance". If you came to class and he spotted that you had on new shoes, or it was reported by someone that you were sporting new kicks, then he'd call you up in front of the class. A handful of your peers would also come up and form a circle around you. The circle would then collectively sing/chant and clap (and I'll insert my name for the example), "Corey's got new shoes, new shoes, new shoes, new shoes. Corey's got new shoes, new shoes, new shoes. Corey's got new shoes, new shoes, new shoes; now let's see those new shoes DANCE!" I would then have to do some improv dance number which usually resembled that of a "dancer gone retarded" or river dance with a club foot, to show off the sweet sweetness of the mobility and style of my new shoes.

Tonight I not only form my own circle, silently sing (and sigh - thank you badly drawn boy), clap, and tap. All to rejoice in the fact that I may have found the perfect shoe. I realize that might be a bit premature, given that it's only January 10 ... but I feel confident throwing that declaration out there in writing.

S & A - your invitation

It seems to be the most fitting time to resurrect the S&A (SET AND ACHIEVE) program. Some of you in Boston might feel the guilty ping below your top ribs when you read this - not quite sure if it's in your heart or your lungs, but you feel it; which is only because it was once part of your life too.

The S&A program is a concept to help manage all the lofty, and let's be honest somewhat over ambitious, goals that we scribble on our "to-do" list. My list has a tendency to look like Santa's (or my ONE receipt from Target where I spent $20,000.00on gift cards that had to be individually scanned).

Each month you set one personal goal in the following areas:
spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical.

You are accountable after 30 days. It's easier if you have a group b/c you can get together for lunch/dinner, share your goals and then reconvene the following month to report and reset. The best part is that it's always on your terms. Your goals can be short term or long term (especially depending on how long it takes you to accomplish them). Yes, I am rehearsing for my QVC gig.

For example, my first "intellectual" goal of the year is to study a particular thing, and I can guarantee that it will be the same goal each month for quite some time, and not b/c I won't be tenacious about accomplish said goal, but b/c it is something that will require a great deal of my time and attention.

I have decided that I will not be reporting my goals in writing (via blogosphere). However, I still extend the invitation to others to adopt the S&A program, or your own version of it, on the onset of 2008. I am happy to share my goals (or past examples) if anyone is REALLY curious, and I am pleased to hear about the successes of others ... so please share. But, no pressure.

SPIRITUAL. INTELLECTUAL. SOCIAL/CULTURAL. PHYSICAL.

Superstar

There's this fun service called Taj Tunes that was started by some M.I.T. grad (who obviously had nothing better to do!) then capitalize on outsourcing. I'll save my opinions about that for another day.

Anyway (on 12/19) I was on a work errand and received a call on my cell from a number in Florida. I was next in line, and not being familiar with the number, let it go to voicemail -- if it was someone I knew I could easily explain that I'd have to call them right back. ANYWAY the "new voice mail" icon appeared, so I took a listen. Tears were in my eyes, and here's why...

http://tajtunes.com/meranaam.html

(Unfortunately I could not upload the actual recording of my own call ... I'll work on that, b/c it's so much better in the high-pitched all female voicces).

Thanks White-knee!!! (b/c apparently that's how you say Whitney in whatever city from which they call).